Coffee, coffee everywhere, and not a drop to drink...
(apologies to Coleridge).

According to the
International Coffee Organization,
116,428,000 sixty kilogram bags of coffee were produced by
exporting countries in 2004, making coffee the second most widely
traded commodity, behind only petroleum. Yet the vast majority of
people have probably never had a good cup of coffee, let alone an
excellent one. Even with the rise of "specialty coffee" over the
last decade or two, the overall quality of brewed coffee is poor.
There are many possible reasons for this: uncaring vendors, an
attitude of convenience over quality, uninformed consumers... the
list could go on. A great brew isn't a simple thing, but even
simply realizing that your coffee should be better takes
some initiative. Many people regularly drink weak, bitter, brownish
hot water and accept it, thinking "that's what coffee is." It
isn't.

But an excellent cup of coffee is worth it. If it
isn't a simple thing, neither is it very difficult. Coffee need not
taste bitter, nor must it taste like charcoal. It can taste
chocolaty, without any chocolate having been added. It can have
elements of citrus, without ever having come near an orange. You
should be able to look forward to a morning cup for reasons beyond
the caffeine rush.

This FAQ explores the how, what, where, and why of
coffee. It will explain the elements involved in making a great cup
of brewed coffee (espresso is a vast enough subject to deserve its
own FAQ). The FAQ will be particularly helpful for those who have
little or no knowledge about coffee, but even more experienced
people should be able to glean new information.

As always, the danger with a site trying to be
"all-inclusive" is that it rarely is. This site is regularly
updated, but if you have any questions or suggestions,
click here to email me. Do not change the default message
subject, or the email will not make it past my spam filters. Go
through the FAQ before asking questions; there's a good chance that
the answer can be found below. Please don't ask for brand
recommendations.